Could digital devices be contributing to the rise in ADHD? And…teenagers are being abused by their dating partners Show Notes

About 6 million children in the United States—or about one out of every 10—have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Now, experts wonder whether the mobile devices we carry around might have something to do with that number.

According to a story on PluggedIn.com, research done by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that ADHD numbers began to surge just as smartphones hit the market.

And because kids engage with digital screens so much differently than they do with real-life activities, some experts believe all that screen time may negatively impact their ability to focus.

By the way, the amount of time people spend engaged in all forms of media has now risen to 11 hours, 52 minutes per day. Clark Fredricksen, vice president of eMarketer says "It's clear that time spent with media is still increasing as a result of multitasking.”

In other youth culture news, some disturbing new stats are out on dating violence. A nationwide survey on the issue was presented at a recent American Psychological Association conference.

The survey included more than 1,000 teens, and it found that 41% of girls and 37% of boys say they've been physically, emotionally or sexually abused on a date.

Here’s one surprising fact that reflects how our culture has been pushing girls to be more aggressive: more girls than boys said they had abused a dating partner. 35% of girls said they’d been abusive―compared to 29% of boys.

By the way, if your son or daughter has experienced this kind of abuse, I’d encourage you to contact my friends at Focus on the Family. They operate a free telephone counseling service and can refer your family to a licensed Christian therapist in your area. The number is 1-800-A-FAMILY.